Better opportunities for returning Singaporeans

Calling all Singaporeans living overseas! Human resource experts say that employers are willing to pay a premium of up to 30% for returning Singaporeans with experience abroad.

The human resource experts also note that Singapore firms are relying less on foreign employees and are seeking to tap the expertise of overseas Singaporeans, particularly in areas such as financial services and creative industries.

Robert Walters’ Managing Director Toby Fowlston said: “They may be bringing back skills and expertise which perhaps haven’t developed yet in Singapore, as well as language skills.”

He added that returning Singaporeans can be a good counterbalance with regards to cultural knowledge, especially if they have been working for organisations based in Europe or US.

Recruitment firms share that firms are depending less on foreign labour as Singapore’s talent pool grows in diversity, and certain sectors are driving the demand for local talent with overseas experience.

Apart from paying competitive salaries to attract Singaporeans to return, employers are also taking measures to retain those already on board, say recruitment firms.

“ It’s the career development, so not only what’s in it for me today, but also the next year and the coming years, which is extremely important for them in making the decision of returning or not returning,” said Adecco Singapore Country Manager Femke Hellemons.

With the Government’s push for Continuing Education and Training of workers, these returning individuals will have more opportunities to grow in their careers.

A recent survey done by recruitment consultancy Hays show that about a third of Singaporeans abroad indicate that they would consider returning due to more job opportunities and a faster career path.